08
Sep
2012
What I’ve Been Doing Besides Writing
It’s amazing I’ve found time for any writing at all this summer. Here’s a sampling of some other distractions….Read More
26
Feb
2012
Free Permaculture Book
I happened upon this great-looking permaculture resource from Chris Evans and Jakob Jesperson: The Farmers’ Handbook. It grows out of years of experience in Nepal but could be helpful anywhere.Read More
23
Feb
2012
A Weekend With Draft Horses
Among a long list of foolish things I’m taking up in my maturing years, I can now add learning how to work with draft horses. I don’t know how far I’ll take this interest. One thing that sunk in at a recent weekend workshop is how steep the learning curve is and how dangerous it [...]Read More
24
May
2011
Enraptured Piglet
On the day of the predicted rapture, I was too busy to follow the news of its not happening — busy taking care of all that was actually happening….Read More
21
Feb
2011
Urban Homesteading in Portland and Beyond
Urban homesteading is not usually the term I use to refer to what I’ve been doing for the best twelve years or so. I tend towards kitchen gardening or urban farming. And these days, I’m transitioning towards rural food production at Amaranta Farm. But I see those who do call themselves urban homesteaders as allies in the same movement, and I’d like to see that movement grow….Read More
11
Jun
2010
When Life Gives You Weeds…Eat ‘Em
With all the rain out over the last few weeks and the challenges of getting the summer garden in, I’ve been grateful for food that sprouts with no effort on my part. I might not want stinging nettles in my cultivated garden, but I like having a patch on a distant corner of our property. [...]Read More
04
Jun
2010
Gundruk Saves the Day
Rain. Day before last, it was relentless. We had a reprieve yesterday, and I got some planting done, but most of my garden is flooded and impossible to work. I’m already a week or two behind. In this short season, that could mean a lean year for vegetables. So when I woke at five this [...]Read More
21
Apr
2010
03
Dec
2009
The Pardoned Potato
On Thanksgiving, we couldn’t bear to slice and roast this huge homegrown potato face. Nor could we boil and mash it….Read More
25
Nov
2009
Wild Turkey: Species of the Week
Unlike my stepfather and his clan, numerous cousins, the son I spawned, and many friends; I don’t usually look at wild animals and think: meat. Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), indigenous to North America, have become a recent exception….Read More
05
Oct
2009
Five Lessons From My Inland Northwest Garden
The cool, clear nights that make autumn so beautiful here in the Blue Mountains also bring frosts that kill tender vegetables. With the harvest spilling over boxes and racks around our tiny yurt, it’s a good time to reflect on what I learned this summer….Read More
15
Sep
2009
Fermented Pickles
My mom made sauerkraut when I was a kid, and it was good. But during the years I lived in Nepal, I discovered a fermented world that went beyond cabbage….Read More
14
Aug
2009
Wild Elderberries
I’m excited to try my new steam juicer on this first crop of wild elderberries. Mixed with a little honey, the juice disappears pretty fast in our home. But later batches may make it into jelly, wine, or apple pies. TweetShareRead More
30
Jul
2009
Walla Walla Sweets
In other gardens, I haven’t had much luck with bulbing onions. Rationing bed space in small spaces, I lavished most of my attention on more flashy vegetables: tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, corn. Walla Walla Sweet and friends: destined for the grill. But this year with plenty of space, I tried several different varieties of bulbing onions. [...]Read More
29
Jul
2009
The Princess Blooms
Some girls dream of being princesses. I’ll admit I dabbled in that too. I used to dress up in rummage store gowns and high heels and parade around with my friends through our Seattle neighborhood. Princess La Ratte blossoms Now, I have earthier dreams, like growing potatoes — lots and lots of potatoes. It’s not [...]Read More
26
Jul
2009
Harvesting Garlic
I planted fifteen pounds of organic garlic last October and finished harvesting it this morning. Given that my soil needs more improvement (mostly a few more years of working in organic matter), I’m pleased with the results. Two Northwest heirlooms: Inchelium Red Nootka Rose I’m curing some of the garlic under the roof of the [...]Read More
25
Jul
2009
Baby Bitter Melon
It’s kind of ugly and horribly bitter, but the years I spent in Nepal have made it into comfort food — and one I sorely miss. How shall I prepare my first harvest of these? Karela ko achar? Or fried in ghee? Imagining either makes me dizzy with happiness. Baby bitter melon TweetShareRead More
24
Jul
2009
Cauliflower and Broccoli
Now that I’ve set up a shady place to work, I hope I can cultivate more patience for my dial-up connection. After all, what’s the hurry? While I wait five minutes for a photo to load, I can listen to cicadas singing, wrens scolding, and hummingbirds hovering nearby, trying by to buzz me out of [...]Read More
22
Jul
2009
Missing My Yurt and Garden
I left our yurt and garden in northeastern Oregon a week and a half ago for a brief vacation in central Oregon and a few days in Portland to catch up on some work and see my son. I’m eager to get back, especially since our current gravity-fed water supply is not reliable in the [...]Read More
